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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23166109">Trading (Momentary) Burdens</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Djaeka/pseuds/Djaeka'>Djaeka</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Kwami (story) Swapping [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, LadyNoir - Freeform, Light Angst, Marichat, Mr. Bug/Marinette, One Shot, One sided reveal, Reveal, Trading Stories</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 12:56:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,082</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23166109</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Djaeka/pseuds/Djaeka</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ladybug’s transformation dropping mid-fight was bad enough, but for the akuma to put her down for the count was almost more than Chat could handle. He couldn’t lose her. No matter what burdens that forced him to carry.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Kwami (story) Swapping [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1590067</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>200</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Trading (Momentary) Burdens</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chat hadn’t really had time to think about the fact that he knew her. One moment Ladybug had been mid-yoyo throw and the next she was falling from the roof. Her unused lucky charm was clutched in the akuma’s hand and they’d been trying to retrieve it when one of the akuma’s minions had simply shoved her off the roof.</p>
<p>Chat had promptly punched the akuma in the face to free his wrist from it’s grip before leaping after her.</p>
<p>He wasn’t fast enough to catch her though, and Ladybug hit the metal grating below her hard enough to both knock her unconscious and force her transformation to drop.</p>
<p>When he reached her, he forgot to breathe for a few moments. His skin felt cold and numb. He wasn’t sure his heart was still beating until he confirmed that she still had a pulse. He went to lift her up, take her home, get her out of the fight, <em>anything</em>.</p>
<p>“There isn’t time.”</p>
<p>Tikki fixed him with a steely glare as he stared dumbly at Marinette lying on a metal lattice. Her arm was at an unnatural angle from where she’d unsuccessfully tried to keep her head from hitting. A large gash ran from temple to brow.</p>
<p>Chat breathed shakily, reaching for her. His heart caught in his throat. It was finally beating again but seemed far too slow for the moment.</p>
<p>“Chat!” A sharp bite to his hand shook him from his stupor, mid-reach. He stared at the little red sprite in front of him, slowly coming to his senses as she spoke.</p>
<p>“<em>There isn’t time.</em> If you’re going to help her, we need Mr. Bug. <em>Now.</em>”</p>
<p>It took little convincing to get Tikki to wait for him to arrange Marinette’s limbs as comfortably as possible. The kwami was impatient, but it was clear she loved Marinette as much as he did from how she hovered close to her partner’s face.</p>
<p>When Chat was satisfied that he’d done what he could for Marinette, he slipped the earrings from her ears.</p>
<p>He left her with a kiss to the knuckles and his ring on her finger, a promise that he’d return as soon as he’d beaten the akuma.</p>
<p>Plagg’s violently whispered “<em>I’ll take care of her, kid” </em>echoed in his ears, convincing him that his bug would be taken care of. The miraculous kept safe. He closed his eyes tightly, squeezing them shut in a desperate bid for composure.</p>
<p>And tried not to look back at Marinette’s battered form as he leapt off the fire escape to take on the thing that had dared to hurt his lady.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>———</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He wasn’t a praying man, normally. But he found himself hoping that whatever might be listening would grant him this <em>one thing</em>, just the one.</p>
<p>He didn’t know how the Miraculous Cure worked, not really.</p>
<p>He didn’t know how many times it had brought him back and what it had saved him from.</p>
<p>But he’d have prayed to anything in existence if it meant Marinette would be okay this time.</p>
<p>Mr. Bug dropped back down to the platform he’d left her on less than half an hour later. He found her curled up and quietly talking to her knees.</p>
<p>“Everybody screws up eventually, kid. You’re not so special that it excludes you from messing things up.”</p>
<p>Marinette snorted at Plagg’s offensive encouragement and Mr. Bug felt his shoulders gradually relax from where they’d ridden up. He hadn’t realized how anxious he was to check on her until the tension left him a tiny bit.</p>
<p>Despite her slumped over appearance, Marinette seemed better. He quickly scanned for any remaining blood n her clothes or odd twists to her limbs. He breathed in relief when he came up blessedly empty handed.</p>
<p>
  <em>Thank whatever listened to that awful excuse for a prayer earlier.</em>
</p>
<p>“Hey kitten.”</p>
<p>Mr. Bug jumped, smiling nervously back at a grinning Marinette.</p>
<p>He plopped down next to her, avoiding the row of potted plants near the closest windowsill. He smiled at the haphazardly colored stick sign labeling one of them as daisies.</p>
<p>He watched her face, but couldn’t meet her eyes. “I’m really sorry, Marinette.”</p>
<p>She blinked, smile dropping.</p>
<p>“Why are you sorry?”</p>
<p>Mr. Bug lifted his head slightly, trying to work the tension out of his neck. He finally raised his eyes to meet Marinette’s. Her eyes held no judgement or anger that he could decipher. Instead, he found himself wondering if they’d always been so clear and welcoming and <em>how in the world </em>he could have missed identifying her by that alone.</p>
<p>It wasn’t that he saw them so infrequently that he should have been so <em>dim.</em></p>
<p>
  <em>I’ve been so blind. Of course it was her.</em>
</p>
<p>Marinette reached for him, laying a delicate hand on his knee. “Chat. Um, Mr. Bug.”</p>
<p>Her lips curled in an amused smirk that he glared at half-heartedly. Marinette giggled.</p>
<p>“You did everything I could have asked for if I’d been able to. Plagg told me you even tried to make me more comfortable for when I woke up. So why are you sorry?”</p>
<p>Mr. Bug twisted his fingers together in his lap.</p>
<p>“I failed you, Marinette. I didn’t protect you. You got <em>hurt</em> because of me.”</p>
<p>He immediately missed her warmth as Marinette drew her hand back. She glanced down at her own hands before raising her eyes to meet his again.</p>
<p>“Chat, you don’t always need to protect me. You’re an excellent partner, you proved that today.”</p>
<p>She sighed heavily.</p>
<p>“You can do anything I can, Kitty. So it’s not exactly top priority to keep me from harm anymore.”</p>
<p>“It’s <em>my </em>priority,” he muttered, cracking a small smile when she shot a stern look his direction.</p>
<p>“Keeping the miraculouses safe is the priority.”</p>
<p>Mr. Bug turned his head, reaching out to fiddle with a daisy leaf poking out of the purple pot.</p>
<p>His throat felt tight and the weight that had settled into his chest when he saw her fall still sat there, smoldering.</p>
<p>“You did everything right.”</p>
<p>“I should have been able to protect my partner!” The words burst from him like a dam breaking, the frustration and guilt bubbling hot under his skin.</p>
<p>Marinette gathered both of his hands, tightening her grip when he tried to pull back.</p>
<p>“You <em>did, </em>Chat. You saved me. Even Plagg, who is a bit of a jerk by the way, doesn’t think you could have done any better.”</p>
<p>Mr. Bug closed his eyes against the stinging heat behind them as Mari pressed her forehead lightly to his. A metallic taste rose in the back of his throat.</p>
<p>He could barely push words out and settled for croaking “Okay” quietly, but the attempt lit Marinette’s face up like a miniature sun.</p>
<p>“Good. Now take me home, Kitty. You’ll need a bit more privacy to switch transformations now that people are going to be going back outside. These people just recover so <em>quickly </em>from akuma attacks these days.”</p>
<p>Mr. Bug stretched his arms out as he stood before swooping down to scoop Marinette into his arms. He grinned widely at her, prompting an amused chuckle before he hopped off the edge once more, this time to bring his lady back home.</p>
<p>As he neared her house, he realized they should count themselves lucky that the akuma had happened to attack at night. There was little chance of Marinette’s parents checking on her this late in the evening.</p>
<p>It made it easy to simply drop in her trapdoor and settle her into bed.</p>
<p>She protested when he attempted to tuck her in, though.</p>
<p>“Chat, I’m not injured and I’m not going to have you baby me.” She batted his hands away, flipping the covers back by herself and ignoring his pout.</p>
<p>“I just want to help-“</p>
<p>“And you have! You got me home.” She turned, apparently satisfied with the bedsheets.</p>
<p>She stood in front of him, one hand extended and the other on her hip. “Now, earrings please.”</p>
<p>Mr. Bug went to pull the earrings from his ears but didn’t get far before she shrieked in panic.</p>
<p>“Wait! Sorry sorry, I have to turn!”</p>
<p>She spun around, face covered and words muffled by her palms.</p>
<p>“I mean, you don’t really <em>have</em> to.”</p>
<p>“No, it’s bad enough that one of us is compromised. No reason to endanger you as well. Switch to Chat and I’ll get the earrings from you.” She held his ring behind her head and his shoulders dropped again, in resignation this time.</p>
<p>
  <em>No use arguing when she uses that tone.</em>
</p>
<p>Plagg apparently wasn’t aware of that, though.</p>
<p>“You really should just let him tell you.”</p>
<p>Adrien turned his head to the source of Plagg’s irritated voice. The little kwami was perched on his shoulder, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. He glared at Marinette’s oblivious back.</p>
<p>“Plagg, we’ve discussed this before. And Tikki agrees. It’s dangerous. You should <em>appreciate </em>that I don’t want to put Chat in more danger. “</p>
<p>Plagg huffed loudly out of his nose, ducking into Mr. Bug’s hair instead of replying.</p>
<p>Marinette sighed deeply, shoulders drawing her body tightly into itself. “I really am sorry. But this is a heavy burden that I wouldn’t pawn off on anyone.”</p>
<p>“I wish you’d let me share it,” he commented as he pulled the earrings from his lobes and slipped the ring on. He took a moment to smile at Marinette and Tikki reuniting, the little kwami checking her charge for any residual injuries much as he’d done earlier.</p>
<p>He averted his eyes only when Tikki flitted up to nuzzle her face against Marinette’s nose and he got the distinct feeling he was intruding. When he cleared his throat to indicate he’d safely transformed, Marinette turned back.</p>
<p>Her mouth was twisted in an apology when she did.</p>
<p>“I know.” Her eyes dropped to the floor and she poked at a raised bit of flooring with a toe. “But you put yourself in danger enough for me. Let me take this one.”</p>
<p>He nodded, knowing it wouldn’t be the last time he asked. But he’d let her have it for now.</p>
<p>Marinette clapped her hands together, false brightness washing over her face. “Well! Probably time to get to bed, yeah? I’ll see you later, Chat Noir!”</p>
<p>Marinette flopped onto her bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. Chat moved to jump through the skylight. The weight on his chest stopped him.</p>
<p>Marinette stilled, brightness fading quickly.</p>
<p>“Chat?”</p>
<p>Her voice sounded tiny. It sounded scared.</p>
<p>Like him.</p>
<p>“Marinette, can I stay for a minute? Maybe tell you a story to help you sleep? Please?”</p>
<p>He knew he was begging. He tried to keep the whine out of his voice, but couldn’t stop the desperation. He just needed a few more minutes. He’d been so afraid.</p>
<p>He could have lost her.</p>
<p>Any number of differences in that fight and she would have been gone. Could he have saved her if it had been worse? A cold shiver ran through him and tingled along his fingers and ears.</p>
<p>“Okay.”</p>
<p>Chat’s head snapped up, and he met her eyes, barely poking over the covers. Maybe he wasn’t the only one that had been scared tonight.</p>
<p>He settled onto the edge of the bed, brushing his fingertips carefully through her hair. Mari pulled the hair ties keeping her pigtails in and dropped them onto the shelf above her head.</p>
<p>“Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess. She lived with a loving family in a warm, cozy home.”</p>
<p>She snorted and Chat poked the back of her head gently. Marinette waved him on.</p>
<p>“She didn’t need a knight in shining armor, for she was a fierce warrior known throughout the land. But many wanted to fight beside her, petitioning to be her squire.</p>
<p>But instead of choosing one of the more qualified soldiers to fight with her, she selected a boy who no one had heard of. She wanted no one else. What’s more, she didn’t think of him as lesser. She treated him as an equal.</p>
<p>She gave him kindness, and friendship, and opened her home to him.</p>
<p>He loved her for it.</p>
<p>And when war came to her country, she proved it was the best choice she could have made because his loyalty to her was unshakable.”</p>
<p>Chat stopped, realizing that Marinette’s breathing had deepened and become steady while he’d been speaking. He leaned over her face, confirming that she’d fallen asleep. He smiled down at her.</p>
<p>“Goodnight, Princess.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
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